IMAGE READY FIBER OPTIC SENSORS FOR BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：本文件中描述的工作 本申请旨在制备使用成像光纤的光学传感器， 生物医学分析 成像光纤是高密度相干光 具有数千个单独的微米尺寸的光纤的阵列被拉成一个 总直径为200 - 500微米的相干束。 两种方法 并导致传感器有非常不同的用途。 上 方法中，成像传感器被修改为具有大量荧光 指示远端面上的区域。 每一个荧光信号 该区域在空间上得到解析，可以用CCD相机进行检测。 在这 通过这种方式，可以使用单个传感器同时监测多种分析物。 具有极小尺寸的传感衬底。 计划中的工作延伸到 这种传感器的遗传分析能力。 了新的途径 提出了其中使用珠文库制备传感器，并且其中 每个感测区域的位置被随机化。 使用高级模式 识别方案加上编码，传感器应该很容易 已校准。 该方法提供了创建高密度传感器的潜力 能够监测数百种分析物或基因序列的阵列 同步 此外，传感器的极小整体尺寸 能够在小（纳升）样品尺寸上进行灵敏的测量。 在第二种方法中，阵列涂有薄聚合物层 含有单一的传感材料。 由此产生的传感器是一个微阵列 包含数千个2 - 4微米的传感器。 这种微阵列可以用来 同时观察生物样本和测量化学 样品表面的浓度。 该作品提出要探索 这种微传感器阵列观察神经元组织并确定 乙酰胆碱从完整组织的单个细胞中的局部释放。 这项工作的最终目标是开发技术， 同时使用形态学和化学信息， 微创传感器 这种传感器可用于体内活检， 细胞功能和诊断，以及解决各种各样的 基本的生物医学研究问题。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): The work described in this application is aimed at preparing optical sensors using imaging fibers for biomedical analysis. Imaging fibers are high density coherent optical arrays with thousands of individual micron-sized optical fibers drawn into a coherent bundle with a total diameter of 200-500 microns. Two approaches are taken and lead to sensors with very different uses. In the first approach, the imaging sensor is modified with a multitude of fluorescent indicating regions on the distal face. The fluorescent signal from each region is spatially resolved and can be detected with a CCD camera. In this way, multiple analytes can be monitored simultaneously using a single sensing substrate with extremely small dimensions. The planned work extends the capabilities of such sensors to genetic analysis. A novel approach is proposed in which sensors are prepared using bead libraries and in which the location of each sensing region is randomized. Using advanced pattern recognition schemes coupled with encoding, the sensors should be readily calibrated. The approach offers the potential to create high density sensor arrays capable of monitoring hundreds of analytes or gene sequences simultaneously. In addition, the extremely small overall size of the sensor enables sensitive measurements to be made on small (nanoliter) sample sizes. In the second approach, the array is coated with a thin polymer layer containing a single sensing material. The resulting sensor is a microarray containing thousands of 2-4 micron sensors. This microarray can be used to simultaneously view a biological specimen and measure chemical concentrations at the surface of the specimen. The work proposes to explore the ability of such microsensor arrays to view neuronal tissue and determine localized release of acetylcholine from individual cells in intact tissue. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop techniques for obtaining simultaneous morphological and chemical information using a minimally-invasive sensor. Such sensors could be used for in vivo biopsies, cell function and diagnosis as well as to address a wide variety of fundamental biomedical research problems.